1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adjustable form dies and specifically to a computer controlled self-adjusting form die comprising a plurality of pins that are height adjustable to form a controlled three dimensional surface for forming sheet metal products and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The usual tooling process begins once the sheet metal product contours have been described and are finalized. The typical process requires the manufacture of a contoured form die, followed by a testing phase (often known as tool "prove-out") to assure that the form die imparts the proper contour to the sheet metal product. Should changes to the contour of the die be required (for example, to make springback adjustments) then rework of the existing die or re-manufacture of a new die becomes necessary in order to achieve the appropriate contour changes.
Presently, predesigned and specifically designed form dies are utilized to achieve contoured surfaces for sheet metal product and the like. Manufacturers usually maintain and store sets of specifically designed form dies and, depending upon the application, will retrieve the appropriate die depending upon the surface contour desired to be achieved. This is not a cost-effective method since a new form die has to be manufactured for each new application, not to mention the attendant costs of testing and storing the new form die.